Dave Meggett Charged With Sexual Assault

New England Patriot running back Dave Meggett and a former member of the team’s practice squad were free on bail Friday after being charged with sexually assaulting a woman at a Toronto hotel.

Meggett and Steve Brannon, a defensive end with the Barcelona Dragons of the World League, were arrested after a 33-year-old woman complained she was assaulted at the Royal York Hotel around 1 a.m. Friday.

Meggett, the NFL’s leading career punt returner, also was charged with robbery, said Sgt. Marilyn McCann.

The men were detained until a hearing Friday afternoon. They were ordered to appear in court March 13.

Meggett’s lawyer, Alan D. Gold, said his client would plead not guilty and contend the incident was a case of consensual sex. The woman, who is from Toronto, was treated for minor injuries at a hospital and released, McCann said.

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Ohio State All-American linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer, arrested for drunk driving in Columbus, Ohio, will undergo alcohol counseling.

Ohio State police Chief Ron Michalec said Katzenmoyer was charged with drunk driving and speeding after police pulled over his car about 2:30 a.m. Friday. Katzenmoyer, 20, had a blood alcohol level of 0.133, police said. The legal limit in Ohio is 0.10%, and the legal drinking age is 21.

A hearing was set for Wednesday in Franklin County Municipal Court. He faces a maximum sentence of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Archie Griffin, assistant athletic director, said Katzenmoyer will remain on the team if he completes alcohol counseling.

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Former Oklahoma All-American and Detroit Lion running back Billy Sims began a one-month jail term for failing to pay child support. Sims surrendered to U.S. marshals in Tulsa to begin serving the sentence.

Golf

Cindy Schreyer, playing only hours after learning of her grandfather’s death, matched her best round to take the midway lead at the Australian Ladies Masters at Gold Coast with an eight-under-par 136.

“I shoot the round of my life and I’m in here crying,” Schreyer said after making a birdie on the final hole for a 66 and a one-stroke lead over Annika Sorenstam of Sweden and Kim Hyun-mi of South Korea.

South Africa’s Ernie Els shot a 63 to pull to within three strokes of leader Robert Karlsson of Sweden midway through the Dubai Desert Classic. Karlsson shot a six-under 66 for a 13-under total of 131.

Tennis

Third-seeded Thomas Enqvist of Sweden beat Richey Reneberg, 7-5, 7-6 (7-1), and sixth-seeded Tommy Haas of Germany defeated Jeff Tarango, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, to advance to the semifinals of the $589,250 Advanta Championships at Philadelphia.

Haas, 19, will play top-ranked Pete Sampras, who defeated Sjeng Schalken of the Netherlands, 6-2, 6-2.

Top-seeded Lindsay Davenport defeated Lee Ghirardi-Rubbi of France, 6-1, 6-4, to move into the semifinals of the IGA Classic at Oklahoma City against third-seeded Venus Williams, who used her powerful serve defeat unseeded Francesca Lubiani of Italy, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.

Williams’ sister, Serena, lost to fourth-seeded Joannette Kruger of South Africa, 6-1, 6-1.

Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia reached the semifinals of the ATP Guardian Direct Cup at London, defeating Britain’s Tim Henman, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. In other quarterfinal matches, Jan Siemerink of the Netherlands beat Marc Goellner of Germany, 6-3, 6-4; Cedric Pioline of France defeated Karol Kucera of Slovakia, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, and Wayne Ferreira of South Africa upset second-seeded Patrick Rafter of Australia, 6-4, 6-4.

Top-seeded Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic moved into the semifinals of the Austrian Open at Linz with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Russia’s Anna Kournikova. She will play Italy’s Silvia Farina, who upset third-seeded Nathalie Tauziat of France, 6-4, 7-6 (7-0). In another quarterfinal, Lisa Raymond was beaten by second-seeded Iva Majoli of Croatia, 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-3.

Football

Free-agent linebacker Kevin Greene and the Carolina Panthers made up from a bitter contract battle before the 1997 season and agreed to new contract terms. . . . San Diego Charger quarterback Stan Humphries, 32, who had five concussions in a span of 23 months, announced his retirement. . . . Bill Diedrick, a 27-year coaching veteran who was most recently quarterbacks coach with the Washington Huskies, was named offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Stanford.

Miscellany

Switzerland’s Michael Von Gruenigen, displaying a master’s touch on the treacherous lower section where his opposition found trouble, edged Austria’s Christian Mayer by .40 of a second to win a men’s giant slalom at Yong Pyong, South Korea, the first World Cup event ever held in that country. Hermann Maier of Austria was third.

Riddick Bowe, the former heavyweight champion, is undergoing counseling and therapy for emotional stress. Rock Newman, who managed Bowe’s boxing career, said Bowe has been seriously affected by the estrangement for the last several months from his wife, Judy, and their five children.

The Downtown Athletic Club in New York, home of college football’s Heisman Trophy, filed for bankruptcy. The Chapter 11 filing was prompted by $2.5 million in back taxes owed to the city, plus obligations from a lawsuit by a management firm that wanted to take over the building housing the club.

Former football great Doak Walker, 71, who has been improving since he was injured in a Jan. 30 skiing accident, will be transferred Monday to a hospital in Englewood, Colo., specializing in spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation.